These are all the classes i want to take in my undergrad

[ice109]

MAA 4224. Introduction to Analysis I (3)
MAA 4226, 4227. Advanced Calculus I, II (3, 3)
MAA 4402. Complex Variables (3)
MAP 4103. Mathematical Modeling
MAP 4153. Vector Calculus with Introduction to Tensors (3)
MAP 4216. Calculus of Variations (3)
MAP 4341. Elementary Partial Differential Equations I (3)
MAP 4342. Elementary Partial Differential Equations II (3)
MAS 4106. Applied Linear Algebra II (3)
MAS 4302, 4303. Introduction to Abstract Algebra I, II (3, 3)
MGF 3301. Introduction to Advanced Mathematics (3)
MHF 4302. Mathematical Logic I (3)
MTG 4302. Elementary Topology I
MTG 4303. Elementary Topology II
PHY 3221. Intermediate Mechanics (3)
PHY 4323. Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism (3)
PHY 4513. Thermal and Statistical Physics (3)
PHY 4604. Quantum Theory of Matter A (3)
PHZ 3113. Mathematical Physics (3)
PHY 4241. Advanced Dynamics (3)
PHY 4605. Quantum Theory of Matter B (3)
PHZ 4390. Particle and Nuclear Physics (3)
PHZ 3400. Phenomena in Condensed Matter Physics (3)
PHY 4822Lr. Advanced Laboratory (2)
PHZ 4151C. Computational Physics Laboratory (3)
PHY 3803L. Intermediate Laboratory B (1)
PHZ 4601. Special and General Relativity (3)

i'm going to be a junior next year and I've removed from that list the classes I'm taking next semester, i also want to take some programming classes and some EE am i crazy?

 

[Maxwell]

So you are going to be a junior... and you still want to take all of those? There isn't a chance you're going to graduate in two years, then.

What's your major?

 

[Brad Barker]

21 credit hours for four semesters? good luck!

i actually have a friend who did 21 credit hours in a semester, and he said that it was absolutely stupid. ...and he takes 17 or 18 credits a semester on a consistent basis. (whereas i prefer to take 12 to 15!)

 

[Beeza]

You are out of your mind :)

 

[G01]

am i crazy?

Yes...without a doubt...

 

[ranger]

Don't do such nonsense. Take a decent workload - like 15-18 credits. You act like all those courses are so easy that you can finish them in two years, not to mention that you want to add EE courses to that!
Even if you do take a horrible amount of credits per semester, you won't make it in 1.5 yrs, because a majority of the courses you listed needs a bunch of prerequisites

Whats the point of doing this? Whats your major?

 

[ice109]

my major is physics but i forgot to mention that i don't care about graduating on time, I'm already a year behind. as far as prereqs I've got em all covered, the courses aren't in order of prereqs in the list but most of them were chosen because of prereqs to get to something else.

like intro advanced math>intro abstract>math logic

the question really is i am stupid for paying to learn all that stuff? obviously i have to take all the physics classes, or at least most, but should i save my money and self study the math? personally i do thoroughly enjoy learning stuff in a classroom environment though.

 

[Maxwell]

It's just that if you are already a year behind, you should probably just focus on graduating. You don't want to be a perpetual undergrad, right?

If I were you, I'd maybe try to start thinking about what you would like to study in graduate school and choose similar courses from the list.

I had the same problem as an undergrad - there were so many courses that were interesting across many different departments. I eventually just had to ask myself what I'd like to do in graduate school and in my career, and I chose my electives based on that thinking.

 

[tacosareveryyum]

Well if you have the time, and money, then I'd consider it. I say consider because do you really want to spend the next couple of years in a classroom being fed information that you will mostly forget? Seriously, as a physics major, don't you want to go to graduate school, get into an exciting career where you will be involved in ground breaking discoveries and new technologies? I would absolutely love being able to get a p.h.d in both mathematics and physics but I also want to start a career, get involved in research, start a family and do many other things besides sit in a classroom for the next few years.
Besides, if you want to pursue graduate study in physics, you really need research experience. How do you expect to get that if you are taking so many classes. Some of those courses you want to take are not easy. They involve time and effort to do well in. It would really suck to graduate with a ton of B's and C's rather than A's because you took to many classes.
I know a guy in from classes that has 2 bachelor's degrees (biology and chemistry) and is working on his third (physics) He has no real direction, has no aspirations in life, and I have absolutely no idea how he can afford all the classes he takes and have no job.

 

[ice109]

It's just that if you are already a year behind, you should probably just focus on graduating. You don't want to be a perpetual undergrad, right?

If I were you, I'd maybe try to start thinking about what you would like to study in graduate school and choose similar courses from the list.

I had the same problem as an undergrad - there were so many courses that were interesting across many different departments. I eventually just had to ask myself what I'd like to do in graduate school and in my career, and I chose my electives based on that thinking.

i want to do theory in grad school therefore all of those classes, except math logic, will help me in grad school. and i honestly don't care about being an undergrad for however long it takes. even if i don't take most of those classes in this degree i will take them at some point in my life. i think it would be better to do it now so i can apply them to my grad work.

Well if you have the time, and money, then I'd consider it. I say consider because do you really want to spend the next couple of years in a classroom being fed information that you will mostly forget? Seriously, as a physics major, don't you want to go to graduate school, get into an exciting career where you will be involved in ground breaking discoveries and new technologies? I would absolutely love being able to get a p.h.d in both mathematics and physics but I also want to start a career, get involved in research, start a family and do many other things besides sit in a classroom for the next few years.
Besides, if you want to pursue graduate study in physics, you really need research experience. How do you expect to get that if you are taking so many classes. Some of those courses you want to take are not easy. They involve time and effort to do well in. It would really suck to graduate with a ton of B's and C's rather than A's because you took to many classes.
I know a guy in from classes that has 2 bachelor's degrees (biology and chemistry) and is working on his third (physics) He has no real direction, has no aspirations in life, and I have absolutely no idea how he can afford all the classes he takes and have no job.

i don't know why you think being "spoon fed" this is different than being spoon fed my major classes.

i don't intend to take 20 credits a semester. maybe 16-18 once i become acclimated to this new school

 

[robphy]

am i crazy?

no.
21 and 24 credits a semester is certainly doable.
But don't mess up your junior year grades...and that first senior semester, if you are applying for grad school.

Can you do a double major in math and physics?
Have you finished all of your core courses?

If you can, try to take a grad course to get some taste of graduate coursework.
In any case, have fun studying what you want to study.

 

[JohnDuck]

21 and 24 credits a semester is certainly doable.
But don't mess up your junior year grades...and that first senior semester, if you are applying for grad school.

Don't listen to this guy. 20 or more credits a semester is retarded. Your grades are going to suffer, and you will get burned out. I tried 20 credits one semester. I planned it out so I would go to class, get all my homework done and still have time during the day to eat three meals and unwind a little. I became increasingly grumpy, irritable, and less and less productive, to the point where all my free time was spent on homework. I never socialized or had fun (even on the weekends) because I was either doing homework, trying to sleep, or sitting around feeling depressed. Could I have made it through the semester with decent grades? Probably, but I would have been f****** miserable.

I got smart, dropped my class with the heaviest workload, and felt like a human being again. You need to set aside enough time to unwind. It's just unhealthy otherwise.

 

[Maxwell]

no.
21 and 24 credits a semester is certainly doable.
But don't mess up your junior year grades...and that first senior semester, if you are applying for grad school.

Can you do a double major in math and physics?
Have you finished all of your core courses?

If you can, try to take a grad course to get some taste of graduate coursework.
In any case, have fun studying what you want to study.

You realize that you're counseling him to take 7 or 8 courses in a single semester, right? 7 or 8 or the classes he listed above is absolutely crazy.

That isn't doable no matter how smart and dedicated you are.

 

[ice109]

You realize that you're counseling him to take 7 or 8 courses in a single semester, right? 7 or 8 or the classes he listed above is absolutely crazy.

That isn't doable no matter how smart and dedicated you are.

168 hours in a week - 7 x 5.5 hours for sleep - 24 class hours = 105.5 hours

that's a lot of time. not saying I'm going to necessarily attempt this but its not even close to impossible.

 

[cristo]

168 hours in a week - 7 x 5.5 hours for sleep - 24 class hours = 105.5 hours

Well, that's lucky if you can function off 5 and a half hours sleep a night: personally, I need at least 8! Still, though, what about eating, showering, talking and hanging out with friends and generally doing stuff other than studying? Surely you don't want to give all your time to study, do you?

 

[tronter]

just self-study some of those math classes. don't bother taking all those classes. In many cases self study is better, because you can go at your own pace and not follow a standard syllabus. In any case, what are you trying to prove by taking all of those classes? Why not take other classes that are more well-rounded instead of taking only math and physics classes (like economics?). For instance, why would you want to waste time taking mathematical logic, or some abstract math course which is not useful in the real world? Remember you can always self-study those classes. Its the knowledge you want, not some paper which tells you that you know it. You only know what you know. Maybe substitute classes like those with a few classes that actually are useful and different. Also, you want to make sure you have a social life/ balanced life.

 

[ice109]

Well, that's lucky if you can function off 5 and a half hours sleep a night: personally, I need at least 8! Still, though, what about eating, showering, talking and hanging out with friends and generally doing stuff other than studying? Surely you don't want to give all your time to study, do you?

as far as social life goes, which is the biggest fear for most people i guess, i don't do that so much. I'm not anti-social but i could easily maintain my social life and take this many hours. all the other stuff is small potatoes. the only reason i would be hesitant to take so many hours is because I'm not sure if i'll burn out or something like that. I've never done over 16 and those were all cake classes requiring only casual extra studying.

it would definitely be an interesting test.

edit

you'd be surprised cristo. apparently 5.5 and 7 hours are the sweet spots because that's when you come out of deep rem sleep. if you awake while inside deep rem then you feel like crap.

 

[ice109]

just self-study some of those math classes. don't bother taking all those classes. In many cases self study is better, because you can go at your own pace and not follow a standard syllabus. In any case, what are you trying to prove by taking all of those classes? Why not take other classes that are more well-rounded instead of taking only math and physics classes (like economics?). For instance, why would you want to waste time taking mathematical logic, or some abstract math course which is not useful in the real world? Remember you can always self-study those classes. Its the knowledge you want, not some paper which tells you that you know it. You only know what you know. Maybe substitute classes like those with a few classes that actually are useful. Also, you want to make sure you have a social life/ balanced life.

im not good with putting myself to the grind stone when there's no ostensive goal and i believe that is the only way to learn stuff. i want to take those classes because that is what interests me. incidentally game theory and economics should be on the list it's just that right now i figured i should focus on what will help me in physics. except math logic

edit: there's actually a lot more like all the applied math stuff which i feel i need to know to be marketable.

 

[JohnDuck]

I'm not particularly lazy or stupid, and I'm not exactly a social butterfly either, but I burned out. Especially with heavy courses like those, you will burn out. I guarantee you it will be excruciatingly painful. All the things that seem like small potatoes now will become big deals.

 

[tronter]

For now, just focus on the physics classes if you want to go to grad school. You will pick up all of the applied math stuff in grad school/ later on. Also, in grad school you will have to learn how to self-study. So why not experiment right now with self-studying those math classes, while focusing on taking physics classes? Physicists, in general, are able to switch to other fields very easily.

 

[ice109]

I'm not particularly lazy or stupid, and I'm not exactly a social butterfly either, but I burned out. Especially with heavy courses like those, you will burn out. I guarantee you it will be excruciatingly painful. All the things that seem like small potatoes now will become big deals.

there are 2 things that are priorities that i would have to consider. exercise and food. exercise isn't a big deal in that it will always get done, it will just have to be one of the few leisure activities i participate in. food is another matter. buying, cooking, storing, and always having access to it are big problems. i like to study in the library and not at home so i have to bring enough food with me and that is tough. I am basically forced to eat really weird things. like right now i have a bottle with finely ground oatmeal+ protein powder in it and a can of peanut butter and that is my next meal, not the whole can of pb but 1 serving.

 

[ice109]

For now, just focus on the physics classes if you want to go to grad school. You will pick up all of the applied math stuff in grad school/ later on. Also, in grad school you will have to learn how to self-study. So why not experiment right now with self-studying those math classes, while focusing on taking physics classes? Physicists, in general, are able to switch to other fields very easily.

that is the only thing I am conflicted about. whether to self study or not.

 

[cristo]

as far as social life goes, which is the biggest fear for most people i guess, i don't do that so much. I'm not anti-social but i could easily maintain my social life and take this many hours.

That's cool, but I'd still advise against filling up the majority of your time with compulsory work. It could be a good idea to self study some, as mentioned above, since then if you find it too hard, you can then just drop it.

Another important thing to remember is that the whole "point" of university is not just to work hard and do well, but it's about gaining independence, growing up, and increasing, or fortifying, one's social circle. I know everyone's different, but I just think the worst thing would be looking back years after graduating with regret if all one did was work.

all the other stuff is small potatoes. the only reason i would be hesitant to take so many hours is because I'm not sure if i'll burn out or something like that. I've never done over 16 and those were all cake classes requiring only casual extra studying.

Yea, that's another point. It would be very easy to get bogged down and stressed if you take on too much work.

edit

you'd be surprised cristo. apparently 5.5 and 7 hours are the sweet spots because that's when you come out of deep rem sleep. if you awake while inside deep rem then you feel like crap.

I've heard about the deep sleep thing, but I'm sure my threshold is about 8 hours: we're all different afterall

And now for a general question, since I'm not from the US: how can 21 or 24 classes in a year equate to 7 or 8 per semester? Do you have three semesters in a year

 

[ice109]

That's cool, but I'd still advise against filling up the majority of your time with compulsory work. It could be a good idea to self study some, as mentioned above, since then if you find it too hard, you can then just drop it.

Another important thing to remember is that the whole "point" of university is not just to work hard and do well, but it's about gaining independence, growing up, and increasing, or fortifying, one's social circle. I know everyone's different, but I just think the worst thing would be looking back years after graduating with regret if all one did was work.

Yea, that's another point. It would be very easy to get bogged down and stressed if you take on too much work.


I've heard about the deep sleep thing, but I'm sure my threshold is about 8 hours: we're all different afterall

And now for a general question, since I'm not from the US: how can 21 or 24 classes in a year equate to 7 or 8 per semester? Do you have three semesters in a year

1 class= 3 credit hours, usually
8 class= 24 credit hours per semester

 

[robphy]

You realize that you're counseling him to take 7 or 8 courses in a single semester, right? 7 or 8 or the classes he listed above is absolutely crazy.

That isn't doable no matter how smart and dedicated you are.

Hmm... okay, maybe if they were only math and physics... then 7 or 8 is probably too much. My last three semesters, I did between 7 and 8 courses each semester... where 2 or 3 were core courses... the rest were upper level math or physics.

 

[ice109]

Hmm... okay, maybe if they were only math and physics... then 7 or 8 is probably too much. My last three semesters, I did between 7 and 8 courses each semester... where 2 or 3 were core courses... the rest were upper level math or physics.

don't do that, you were my cheerleader! now I'm about taking on so many classes

 

[huckmank]

don't do that, you were my cheerleader! now I'm about taking on so many classes

Yeah, I did a 20 hour semester where I went from 9a - 9p on T/TH with a 2 hour break. If you can somehow swing it so you take all your classes on 2-3 days, that leaves you with 4-5 days a week to do homework. That's about the only way I can visualize doing 20+ hour semesters. If you go to school every day, it tends to break up the day and it's harder to find a solid block of time to study in.

I would definitely recommend that you offload some of those courses into your two summers. With 9 hours a summer that leaves you with ~16-18 hours a semester. Totally doable.

 

[ice109]

Yeah, I did a 20 hour semester where I went from 9a - 9p on T/TH with a 2 hour break. If you can somehow swing it so you take all your classes on 2-3 days, that leaves you with 4-5 days a week to do homework. That's about the only way I can visualize doing 20+ hour semesters. If you go to school every day, it tends to break up the day and it's harder to find a solid block of time to study in.

I would definitely recommend that you offload some of those courses into your two summers. With 9 hours a summer that leaves you with ~16-18 hours a semester. Totally doable.

good advice

 

[Maxwell]

Maybe I am looking at this from a different perspective, I'm an EE, but 6, 7, or 8 courses in a single semester is no joke. The most I ever took was 6, and it was so brutal that I never went above 5 again.

5 seems to be the most sane number. However, maybe it's more common for math & physics majors to take so many classes. As an EE, the classes always entailed much more than 3 hours of class time. There were sometimes lab components and usually big projects to work on, not including the homework and tests.

8 classes would have been absolutely impossible and would have resulted in nothing but failure in at least a few of them.